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I stopped betting the NBA long ago but one thing I learned is to be wary of large spreads. No matter how lopsided the paper matchup, there is surprising parity in the league - also, teams in the lead tend to let up at the end by dialing down the intensity, sending in scrubs, etc

I stopped betting the NBA long ago but one thing I learned is to be wary of large spreads. No matter how lopsided the paper matchup, there is surprising parity in the league - also, teams in the lead tend to let up at the end by dialing down the intensity, sending in scrubs, etc

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the one way the score can swing wildly is the last min where it might turn into a foul fest. normally close games can turn into a 10+pt win (even though the game was close as hell).

"i have lost 7 pounds since sunday! basically, i tried to do the following: 1. cut down from 6 or 7 full meals a day to 2 " - in-stiches

Michael Jordan turns 50 on Sunday and retrospectives of his career have been getting heavy airtime this week. The highlights include his six titles with the Chicago Bulls, his impact on athlete marketing and countless unforgettable moments on the court (“flu” game; switching hands driving the lane; the “shot” versus the Cavs). Los Angeles Lakers forward Antawn Jamison opined last week that Jordan could still average double-digit points in the NBA. I think it is safe to say we’ve seen the last of MJ soaring above the rim after hitting the half-century mark with three retirements already under his belt. But Jordan the business? It is stronger than ever.

Jordan earned an estimated $80 million last year from corporate partners Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck, 2K Sports, Presbyterian Healthcare and Five Star Fragrances. Other Jordan assets include six restaurants, a North Carolina car dealership, a motorsports team and his 80% stake in the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan out-earns almost every member of the world’s highest-paid athletes 10 years after his last NBA game (Floyd Mayweather topped Forbes June 2012 list with earnings of $85 million).

The Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, is responsible for the vast majority of MJ’s earnings. Jordan partnered with Nike after being drafted by the Bulls out of North Carolina in 1984. The original five-year deal was worth $500,000 annually, plus royalties. The terms of Jordan’s current deal with Nike are a closely guarded secret, but royalties now generate more than $60 million annually for MJ, according to sources.

Nearly 30 years later, the brand is still a marketing juggernaut. It controlled 58% of the basketball shoe market in 2012, according to research firm SportsOneSource. The Jordan Brand’s parent Nike was second with a 34% share, while Adidas (5.5%), Reebok (1.6%) and Under Armour (0.6%) divvied up the leftovers.

Nike signed up current NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, as well as non-NBAers like Derek Jeter and Nascar’s Denny Hamlin for the Jordan Brand. But the star is still Jordan and the Air Jordan franchise.

Nike will release the Air Jordan XX8 this weekend to coincide with the NBA All-Star game. It is the 28th shoe in the Jordan franchise. The suggested retail price is $250. In addition to new Air Jordans, Nike continues to pump out retro versions of the franchise with an average selling price of $130 to $150.

The Jordan Brand is doing “exceptionally well” says Susquehanna Financial analyst Christopher Svezia. He estimates the brand grew 25-30% in 2012 and now generates more than $1.75 billion globally, including apparel. The U.S. Jordan Brand sneaker business alone had $1.25 billion in wholesale revenue in 2012, says Matt Powell, an analyst at SportsOneSource. LeBron James is the top-seller among current NBA players with signature shoe deals, but Jordan outsold James by a 6 to 1 margin in 2012 in the U.S.

Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck are long-time Jordan sponsors. 2K Sports put Jordan on the cover of its NBA 2K11 and 2K12 video games. His latest deal is with Presbyterian Healthcare and its Winston-Salem parent, Novant Health. The agreement signed last year was part of a sponsorship renewal for the Bobcats franchise. It was the first time Jordan included himself as a carrot to close a team sponsorship deal. Jordan will appear in TV ads for the hospital system.

Jordan still resonates strongly with consumers. His 22 million Facebook fans rank fourth among athletes, behind only soccer icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham. His Q score, which measures awareness and popularity, is 43 among sports fans. The next highest active athlete is Peyton Manning at 32. Jordan has had the top Q score among sports fans every year since 1987. The one exception was in 1990 when Joe Montana usurped him for a single year (Tiger Woods is the only athlete to top MJ’s Q Score among the general population, which he did once in 2008).

“Jordan is unique in that he has been able to maintain that emotional connection with his consumer base for more than 25 years,” says Henry Schafer, Executive Vice-President at the Q Score Company.

Jordan’s net worth is estimated at $650 million thanks to years of endorsement checks and $90 million in salary from the Bulls. Jordan’s net worth has the potential to surge through his 80% stake in the Bobcats. The team has been losing as much as $20 million annually and part of Jordan’s ownership agreement included providing working capital to cover those losses. Those deficits will shrink under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which triples the amount of revenue sharing from high-revenue to low-revenue teams. The Bobcats will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new plan and are expected to receive as much as $18 million annually by next season. The value of the Bobcats was up 14% to $315 million, including $150 million in debt, in Forbes recent annual look at the business of basketball.

Happy birthday, Michael. It’s been a memorable first half-century. Next stop: the Forbes billionaires list.

Kevin Garnett said this year's All-Star game is "definitely" his last one.

Garnett refused to elaborate, but there has been speculation he would retire after the season despite having another two years left on his contract. "Y'all don't know what I know," Garnett explained. "Let's just put it like this: I'm more than grateful for going. I'm not going to act like I've got more All-Star games in me. So I'm just going to actually enjoy this one with friends and family. That's what I meant." For the season, Garnett is averaging 15.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 30 minutes per game.

man when nash is pissed at his own teammate... you know something's wrong.

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i'm going to try to be charitable and suggest that maybe it's his back that is hindering him ... but he seems to be able to work when he receives the ball above his head. last night he dumped at least three perfect pnr bounce passes.

A fantasy is when you have an unlimited supply of sodium alginate, a couple dozen oysters, and too much free time.
I have to say, there is nothing quite like that sinking feeling you get after you've shaved the last slice of truffle.

read something the other day where he's supposed to still be making $80 mill a year in endorsements.

A fantasy is when you have an unlimited supply of sodium alginate, a couple dozen oysters, and too much free time.
I have to say, there is nothing quite like that sinking feeling you get after you've shaved the last slice of truffle.

It's a good article, read it earlier today. It's really interesting (to me) how the attributes that made him the best at basketball are making it difficult to live a life outside basketball.

You are lean and mean and resourceful and you continue to walk on the edge of the precipice, because over the years you have become fascinated by how close to the edge you can walk without losing your balance

I was happy the lakers were -10.5 favorites against Houston and thought it was an excellent value bet for houston... then horrified when I learned that Harden wasn't playing.

it barely worked out but it was sketchy as hell. I ended up just sleeping and not checking the score figuring it was a lost cause.

sometimes I still think there's game fixing going on in the NBA... I put in a bet for the Suns at +9 when they played the lakers two days ago. The lakers were still only up 6 in the with something like 22 seconds and the suns didn't foul or anything.... just let the clock run out and gave up. I was naturally happy, because the Suns covered only losing by 6, but it was weird to have a team just give up in a two possession game with 22 seconds left on the clock.

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Yeah, there are times when I definitely feel like the games are rigged. I dunno...

I feel you though, there are many times when I decide to just go to sleep and check it in the morning.

What site do you use, or do you deal with someone local?

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